The Strange Case of Chase and Spike
by daphrose
Summary: Strange things are happening around Mission Creek. Adam's friend Chase has been acting really weird. Not to mention the new kid in town, Spike, who has been causing a lot of trouble. But what does Spike have to do with Chase? And why is Chase so concerned about his own "disappearance"? (AU and OOC. Based on "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson.)
1. Cryptic Notes of an Introvert

**Welcome, everyone, to this little corner of the fanfiction world. For the next ten days we will be reading the story "The Strange Case of Chase and Spike" by daphrose. This story is based off of "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, obviously.**

**And who am I? You may call me The Narrator. I will be the one reading you this story every night. I will read you the chapters around this same time every day until the story is over.**

**This story falls in the genres of mystery/crime/horror/tragedy/suspense/friendship. If any of the following will make you uncomfortable, you might want to hit the back button now: Character death, blood, murder, and suicide.**

**It is also important that you remember that this is an alternate universe. The characters that are normally related most likely will not be (or they will be related, but in a different way) and there are no bionics (not in the way you are used to, at least). Apologies, Lab Rats fans. Some of the characters might act a bit different as well (OOC), but daphrose did her best. And there is no romance. I have heard of these things called 'Brase' and 'Bradam,' but I can assure you that those will not be happening. (Nor will 'Spase' or any other boy x boy pairings.)**

**Now that we have all of that over with, let us begin our tale . . .**

* * *

*** * * Cryptic Notes of an Introvert * * ***

* * *

It's not that Adam Charles was a bad kid. No, quite the contrary; he was rather amiable. Adam was friends with many people, he played several sports, and he was moderately popular around school. People generally liked to be around him. Adam's personality could be summed up as loyal, goofy, and fun. Those who observed him might compare him to a hyperactive five-year-old.

However, the thing that could make people mad at him (if it was even possible to be mad at Adam Charles) was his curiosity. Not that curiosity in itself was a bad thing, but rather that Adam often used it to learn about things he had no business knowing. He was aware of this, and lately he had been working on not being so nosy.

Other than that, Adam was a great person to be around. Granted, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was lots of fun. He could make anyone laugh despite the kind of day they were having. He was an extremely social person, getting out and about and talking with friends. Everyone knew who Adam was, everyone enjoyed talking to him, and Adam enjoyed talking to them.

Adam's friend, Chase Davenport, was a very different story. Chase had a good reputation, to be sure. He was the 'teacher's pet' kind of kid, earning admiration for his vast amount of knowledge. He applied himself in school, devoting many hours of his free time to study. Chase was not a rule-breaker or a rebel; some called him a wet blanket, but others respected his integrity.

Despite all that, Chase was a very shy person. He didn't talk to many people, preferring to stay wrapped up in his own little world. It was no secret that Chase Davenport was an introvert. Most of the time he stayed at home, working in his dad's laboratory. His father – Donald Davenport – was a tech mogul, which might explain why Chase was so smart. He knew everything there was to know about technology.

The other thing about Chase was that he was strange; very strange. He often acted shifty, though anyone who knew him knew that he would never be involved in something that required him to act suspicious. Chase didn't like to talk about his home life. When he was younger he used to be more open, but lately he had been closing up. Not many people noticed.

These two boys with very different personalities, from very different worlds, were actually the best of friends. They had been for many years. Adam was able to talk to Chase despite the latter's tendency to remain silent. Adam was one of the few people Chase would really speak with.

In the past few weeks, however, Chase had been acting more suspicious than ever. Adam had noticed, but as of yet he had not said anything. Chase was a strange kid; Adam had learned years ago that it was best to let him be. Trying to pry the answers out of him would only result in Chase retreating even further into his silence.

On a very typical day after school, Adam invited Chase over to study. They had much of the same work, despite the fact that Chase was nearly a year and a half younger than his friend. Adam, as previously mentioned, struggled in school. Chase, on the other hand, could almost be called a genius and had a lot of advanced work. Thus the two were able to study together.

The boys entered Adam's home, a normal one-story house in the middle of Mission Creek. Adam deftly tossed his backpack onto the couch and sat down. Chase followed suit.

"Where's your dad?" was the first thing Chase said, in the quiet tone that was characteristic of him.

"A business trip," Adam reported as he pulled out his homework sheets. "He'll be gone all weekend. He comes back for a few days, but then he'll leave again for another week."

"Of course," Chase said with a hint of a sigh.

Both boys understood each other when it came to their families. Neither of them had siblings, both lived with only their father, and both of their fathers were often too caught up in their work to pay any attention to their sons. It was a vicious cycle that the boys had bonded over.

"Should we start with math?" Chase asked, changing the subject. He pulled out his well-worn green notebook and placed it on the coffee table.

"Sure, I guess," Adam said. "But I'd rather play video games."

"Not now," Chase said. "We need to study. Let me guess, you haven't even started that English paper you have that's due tomorrow?"

"What?" Adam said, drawing out the word. "You don't know that." Chase quirked one eyebrow and a smile tugged at his lips. "Okay, no, I haven't started. But come on! I just got _Death Slayers 4 _yesterday! I've been dying to try it out!"

This caused Chase to stop and think for a moment. Adam could almost see the struggle going on inside his friend's head. For a second the older boy thought he might win this one.

"No!" Chase insisted suddenly, his thoughtful look disappearing. "We need to study. Maybe we should start with English."

"Ugh, fine," Adam groaned, digging through his backpack for a pencil.

"Hang on, don't start yet," Chase said, standing up. "I'll be right back." Chase maneuvered around the couch, heading for the bathroom down the hall.

"Watch your head!" Adam called after him. The doorway to the bathroom was very low and it was common in the Charles' household to warn their guests to be careful – even though Chase had been over so often he knew that already.

Suddenly a sly grin came over Adam's face. He turned around and added, "On second thought, you're so short you probably don't need to duck."

Chase threw a glare over his shoulder. "Why am I even friends with you?" he said dryly. But there was a gleam in his eye that meant he was only joking. Nonetheless, Adam was technically right. Chase did not have to duck in order to go through the door (though his spiky hair grazed the top of the door frame).

Adam turned back around, laughing quietly to himself. Then he sighed and realized it was time to start work. He really hated school! The only parts he liked were the sports. Football, basketball, baseball . . . you name it, Adam played it. Most of his afternoons were filled with practices and games, but sometimes – like today – Adam was free to just hang out with his friends. Too bad that meant doing schoolwork with Chase.

Adam was completely stumped about his English paper. Words were not his forte, so to speak. Perhaps there was something in Chase's notebook that could help him.

The green spiral-bound notebook was on Chase's desk in every class. He took notes on everything the teachers said. Adam thought that would be dreadfully tedious, but Chase seemed to take enjoyment from it. Maybe there were some notes in there that could help Adam with his paper.

Adam lazily flipped the book open, looking for anything from English class. He skimmed over pages upon pages of Chase's perfect cursive handwriting. The jotted-down notes were organized into outlines and numbered points – something only Chase would do.

All of a sudden something else caught Adam's eye. In the middle of the notes for the Tuesday earlier that week, there were several lines of furious scribbling. Adam frowned. Chase would never "ruin" his notebook with such large, incomprehensible words. Yet it was clearly Chase's handwriting, distorted just enough so that it was hard to make out. Adam tried to read it anyway.

From what Adam could tell, Chase was worried about . . . someone . . . and this someone was . . . trying to take over? That didn't make any sense. There were some strange words scattered through the message. A few that caught Adam's eye were 'Spike,' 'disappearance,' and . . . '_death_.' But why was Adam's friend concerned about _death_? Why would Chase, a fifteen year old boy, be writing about his own disappearance and demise? What was going on here?

"Adam?"

Adam jumped at the sound of his name being called. He had been so caught up in the notes that he hadn't heard Chase emerge from the bathroom.

"Adam, what are you doing with my notebook?" Chase asked as he ran around the couch and snatched the book from Adam's hands.

"I was trying to find a few notes that might help me," Adam said. Internally he was debating whether or not to tell Chase what he had read.

Chase's face was pale and he was visibly shaking. He attempted to smile, but it wasn't a very good effort. "Look, Adam, please ask me before you go through my stuff, okay?"

"Okay," Adam said slowly, still not sure whether to ask him about 'Spike' and the other frightening notes.

"Um, I f-forgot," Chase stuttered, clearly shaken, "my dad wanted my home early today."

"What?" Adam exclaimed. "But you said it was fine for you to come over. And I still need your help!"

"I know, but he . . . he really wanted me to come home. Look, I gotta go. If you really need help with something, just email me. But I need to get home. Bye."

Chase shouldered his backpack and stalked over to the door. He left the house without another word. Adam just sat there, staring after his friend.

_What was he freaking out about? Did it have something to do with those notes? Why would he write that? Chase is strange, but this is weird even for him. What in the world is going on? _Alas, Adam could only wonder.

* * *

**That is the end of chapter one. Intriguing, isn't it? If you have ever read "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," you may know what's going on. But please, don't ruin it for the other readers.**

**Apparently the song "Monster" by Imagine Dragons was extremely inspiring to daphrose while she wrote this story. She recommends it as a soundtrack for nearly all the chapters.**

**Again, I will be reading chapters around this time every evening (or whatever time it is where you live). There are ten chapters. Some are short, some are long; no complaining. I'm already pampering you with one every night. Tomorrow's reading might be a bit later, but only by a half an hour to an hour.**

**It is important to note that daphrose does not own Lab Rats or the book on which this story is based. She simply took inspiration from them. I am not saying this again; it goes for the whole story.**

**If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. I may or may not answer them depending on how much time we have. I hope to see you all back here tomorrow night for the second chapter: The New Kid. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


	2. The New Kid

**Welcome back, everyone. It's good to see you again. I am glad you enjoyed our first chapter. I appreciate getting to know daphrose's fans. You are all very polite.**

**To answer a question from Random Girl, various characters from the Lab Rats world will be making appearances in this story. I suppose you'll have to keep reading to find out who they are. And for ****PurpleNicole531****, perhaps I can refer you to some of my friends. Storyteller, Speaker, and Reporter are some great ones. Or perhaps daphrose will let you borrow me.**

**Without further ado, we shall read chapter two . . .**

* * *

*** * * The New Kid * * ***

* * *

Adam wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned at his teammates. He took a swig from his water bottle and stuffed his ball into his bag. Basketball practice was officially over for the day. He said goodbye to his friends and left the gym, leaving the sound of squeaky shoes on the hardwood floor behind him.

Outside the doors to the gym stood a brunette teenage girl with her arms folded across her chest. "I've been waiting for eight minutes!" she said impatiently.

"Sorry, Bree, practice went a bit late," Adam apologized. "How was cheerleading?"

"All right," Bree said, fixing her ponytail – though Adam thought it looked fine. "Stephanie was being a jerk – like usual. But we got a lot of practicing done. We're ready for the big game at the end of the month!"

"Me too," Adam said with a grin. "Coach has been working us hard. Well, let's head home."

"Okay," Bree said as they started to walk out the front doors. Suddenly she wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, Adam, you smell like a sweaty ape!"

"I know," Adam said with a smirk. "And it bugs you, which makes it even better." Bree rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove.

Adam Charles and Bree Greenburg were cousins and close friends. On Tuesdays Bree's cheerleading practice ended at the same time as Adam's basketball practice. Since they lived right across the street from one another, they often walked home together.

Adam took every opportunity to joke and jab his younger cousin. It irritated Bree, but that made it even more fun! Adam and Bree were so close they were almost like siblings.

They walked down Main Street in the middle of Mission Creek, wearing their Mission Creek High School gear loud-and-proud. The blue and white uniforms/jerseys sure stood out in a crowd.

Mission Creek was a cozy little town; the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else. Quaint, identical houses sat side-by-side in the neighborhoods. Down Main Street there were several shops, each proudly displaying their goods in the window. Adam couldn't help but drool as they passed the candy store, but Bree quickly pulled him along.

As they walked down one of the streets they needed to go down in order to get home, Bree suddenly began to rub her arms. A strange look came over her face. She looked like she had smelled something rotten.

"Bree, what's wrong?" Adam asked quickly.

"Oh, nothing," Bree assured him. Adam might not be all that bright, but even he knew that "nothing" meant "something."

"Bree, seriously, what's the matter?"

Bree sighed. "You see that corner over there? Well, when I was walking down this street last week, I saw something just plain awful."

"What?" Adam prodded.

"Well," Bree continued, "I saw a little girl – maybe eight or nine – just skipping down the street. But coming in the opposite direction was this . . . really weird boy. When he reached the girl, he shoved her out of the way. And I mean he shoved her . . . _hard_. She fell in the gutter and even scraped up her elbow. She started crying, of course. But then that other boy just kept walking!

"I ran up to him as people started to get around the little girl and make sure she was okay. I told that boy to get back there as fast as he could; he needed to apologize. Well he looked me in the eye . . . and he downright refused! I tried to argue with him, but he kept right on refusing!

"I would've continued to insist that he come back, but that kid gave me the creeps! Ugh, Adam, it was just weird! I tell you, there was something off about him.

"Anyway, he walked away, and I wasn't really in the mood to go after him. So I went back to the little girl and talked with her mom a bit. We both agreed that we didn't like that boy. The girl – her name was Jenny – was fine. But that other kid was such a jerk! I can't even . . ."

"Okay, Bree, just calm down," Adam said, placing a gentle hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"Yeah, right, sorry," Bree muttered.

"That's definitely weird, though," Adam mused. "That kid . . . did you recognize him?"

"No, I've never seen him before," Bree answered. "He definitely doesn't go to our school. But he had this really weird look about him. He wore an oversized black hoodie that practically covered his face. He had these beady little eyes . . . ugh, it was weird. I felt like there had to be something physically wrong with him. He was so . . . so _creepy_!"

"Did you catch his name?"

Bree paused for a moment to think. "Yeah, actually, I did. I asked him sometime during our little argument. I think he said it was 'Spike.' Weird name, huh?"

Adam stopped walking. "Spike?" he repeated slowly.

"Yeah, why?" Bree asked.

"You're sure he said _Spike_?"

"As sure as I can be. I mean, there was a wailing girl in the background and I was too angry to think straight. But I remembered because it sounded like a really strange name. Adam, why do you look so worried?"

"Nothing," Adam said quickly. He attempted a smile, but he could tell it wasn't very good. "Bree, I'm sure it's nothing. Just a little coincidence is all."

"Adam Douglas Charles, you tell me what's going on right now!" Bree said, stamping her foot on the ground.

"I thought it sounded familiar," Adam muttered. "Let me look into it more before I say anything else. Please Bree?"

"Fine," Bree conceded. "But you'll tell me at some point!"

"I promise, I promise!" Adam agreed.

The rest of the walk home was silent and occurred without any spectacular event. Adam went with Bree to her house first, saying a polite 'hello' to his aunt before continuing back to his own home.

"Spike, Spike, Spike," Adam muttered to himself as he walked through the door. "There's no way! Is that what Chase was talking about? Is he afraid of him? What exactly does Chase know about this 'Spike'?"

* * *

**Ah, so now we know a bit more about this Spike person, hmm? He's not very polite at all.**

**Feel free to share what you liked or did not like about this chapter. I will come back again tomorrow around this same time to read chapter three: Face to Face with a Villain. See you all then!**

**~ The Narrator**


	3. Face to Face with a Villain

**Welcome back. I'm glad to see all of you here again. Thank you for coming.**

**It is interesting to note that every name in this story (first, middle, or last) is of some importance. Daphrose took inspiration from various episodes of Lab Rats. No name was made up. She also included many references to the show. I wonder how many you could spot?**

**I won't bore you. We shall now begin chapter three . . .**

* * *

*** * * Face to Face with a Villain * * ***

* * *

"I'm telling you Leo, something strange is going on here," Adam said as he slammed his locker shut. "It can't be a coincidence."

"You're right, it is weird," Adam's friend Leo agreed. "But why are you talking to _me_ about it?"

"You're friends with Chase," Adam pointed out. "Has he said anything to you?"

"All right, well, I use the term 'friends' loosely. You know we don't agree on a lot of things."

"Right, but still, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"No, honestly. He's been acting the same way he always does. Granted, Chase has very bizarre behavior, but that's not bizarre for _him_. You've been friends since you were in diapers; shouldn't you know that?"

"Maybe it's because we've been friends for so long that I'm worried. This is odd even for him. And . . . and I don't know. I've just got a really bad feeling about this whole thing."

"A bad feeling isn't enough for me," Leo drawled.

"He wasn't in school today," Adam mused, almost to himself. "Chase _never _misses school."

"It's unusual, but he _has _missed before. Maybe he's sick or something else came up."

"But he's not answering any of my texts."

"Since when has Chase been in the habit of answering texts in a timely manner?"

"Huh?"

"When does Chase ever reply right away?" Leo explained with an exasperated sigh.

"Everything is adding up to be really creepy," Adam continued, barely even listening to the dark-skinned boy at this point. "On Friday I see his notes. I saw mentions about someone named 'Spike.' Chase catches me reading them and flips out and says he has to leave, even though a few minutes ago he said it was fine for him to stay. Then yesterday Bree told me that last week she saw someone by the name of Spike push a little girl into the gutter."

"Fascinating," Leo said in a bored tone. "Adam, calm down. Why don't you talk to Chase about it? You know, just ask him? That's simple enough. But if we're done here, school is over and I'd like to go home."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Adam sighed. "I'll ask Chase about it tomorrow."

"Great," Leo said, patting his friend's arm. "Glad we could work this out. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye," Adam muttered as Leo charged away.

Adam sighed and finished pulling his things out of his locker. Maybe Leo was right. Maybe he should just leave this alone. Adam had gotten in trouble before for looking into things he shouldn't have. Maybe it was best to just leave this be.

Then again, maybe not. Chase was Adam's best friend. Didn't Adam have a duty to help him? Maybe Chase really needed his help. Chase wasn't the kind of person who asked for help, no matter how much he needed it. You had to read in between the lines with him.

Adam marched out of the school, his head still swirling with all his jumbled-up thoughts. It was starting to hurt. Adam really hated to think.

No practices were scheduled today, so Adam began to walk home. The familiar scenery of Mission Creek surrounded him. Several teens were leaving the high school as well. As Adam headed into town, he passed all the same shops selling the same goods. It was comforting to know that things around here never changed.

After a few minutes, Adam came not far from the place where he and Bree had walked the day before. The same place Bree has claimed to see the villainous 'Spike.'

Just as Adam came near that spot, the sky darkened as if foreshadowing something frightening. Small drops of rain began to fall mere seconds later, causing Adam to mechanically shiver. A sudden gloomy feeling filled the streets. People who had been amiably chatting outside ran into the stores for cover. Except for a few straggling high schoolers who still needed to get home, the streets remained vacant.

As Adam trudged along in the cool rain, a dark figure entered his field of vision. The figure had rounded the corner and was now coming towards Adam. And Adam – being the friendly sort of person he was – decided to greet this person.

"Hello," Adam called, albeit a bit hesitantly.

The figure was wearing a black hoodie that hid his face from sight. He was incredibly short (even shorter than Chase, if that was possible), though it was clear that he was a teenager. From what Adam could tell, he was incredibly skinny. His shoulders were hunched and he gave off an odd sort of vibe.

"Hello?" Adam said, even more tentatively this time.

The boy looked up. His green eyes seemed almost to glow out from the darkness behind the hood, just like a cat's eyes. His features were concealed, but Adam could almost perfectly visualize them anyway. He knew exactly who this was.

"S-Spike?" Adam stuttered.

"That's me," the boy said in an inhumanly deep voice. "What do you want?"

"N-Nothing," Adam said. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his pounding heart.

"How do you know my name?"

"My cousin met you last week," Adam replied. _Though you could hardly call it a meeting. It certainly wasn't the friendly kind._

"And? That's enough?" Spike rasped.

"My friend Chase wrote something about you in his notebook." Adam instantly hoped he hadn't made a horrible mistake.

"Did he now?" Spike said. Adam could faintly see the way his lips twisted into a quite evil-looking smile. That only served to unnerve Adam even more. "And you read it?"

"Well, it was kind of accident."

Spike laughed. It was deep and dark and gut-wrenching. That laugh was the kind of thing that would fill children's nightmares.

"I suppose it was an accident," Spike muttered when the laugh was done. "But Chase still won't be happy to know that."

"So you know Chase personally?" Ah, now they were getting somewhere!

Spike's face contorted into an expression of confusion. It seemed almost as though he didn't know how to answer the question. "I guess you could say that," he snarled. "I know that little brat better than I want to."

Adam swallowed. So Chase _was _associated with this criminal-like figure. That could only mean bad things. Maybe that was why Chase was so scared. Was Spike going to do something to his friend? Did Chase know that?

"Can you explain it to me?" Adam asked, trying to figure out how to phrase his question. "How do you know Chase? Why . . . what . . ."

"I don't like waiting around for people to finish their blubbering," Spike growled, holding up his hand. "If you can't figure out what you want to ask me, then don't ask at all, bubble-neck. Besides, I don't think Chase wants me giving out that kind of information."

Just like that, Spike was gone. Adam blinked, trying to figure out how he had gotten away. He heard the footsteps, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from. Adam peeked into the alleyway nearby, but if Spike had gone down it, he was already gone. For such a creepy little fellow, Spike was fast.

Adam finished his walk home in the rain. He barely even noticed when the water droplets got bigger and the wind increased in strength. He was too busy being wrapped up in his thoughts.

_Why in the world would Chase involve himself with that kind of person? Was Spike doing something to Chase against his will? Was Chase genuinely in trouble, then? Maybe that's why he had to leave so quickly the other day._

Whatever the answers were, Adam was determined to find out. Tomorrow at school Adam planned to play a little game with Chase. A game he liked to call 'interrogation.'

* * *

**So now we have met Spike. For you Lab Rats fans, daphrose slightly altered his appearance for this story. She did her best to explain it.**

**Feel free to tell me your thoughts. How do you all like the story so far? I hope to see you back here again tomorrow for Chapter 4: Nothing to Worry About. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


	4. Nothing to Worry About

**Hello again, all. Who is ready to read chapter four? Before we begin, though, I will answer some questions.**

**To MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul, I believe daphrose wrote that scene as the part where Bree saw Spike push a girl out of the way in chapter two. Ungerlover, you got them all correct! Congratulations! Although daphrose originally did not write Leo's line, 'I use the term "friends" loosely,' as a reference. She didn't realize it until later. And in response to ****PrincessSparkleKitty****, various characters will be appearing. I suppose you'll have to continue reading to find out if Marcus is one of them.**

**I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story. Today's chapter is a bit shorter, but I don't want to hear any complaining about it. Tomorrow's chapter is over 1.5 thousand words.**

**Shall we begin chapter four? Let us read . . .**

* * *

*** * * Nothing to Worry About * * ***

* * *

When Chase wasn't at school the next day either, Adam really began to worry. Chase was an intellectual; for all his social misgivings, he loved the academic side of school. While he tended to miss days here and there (even he got sick at times), Chase was in the school building every chance he got.

Basketball practice seemed to drag on for an incredible amount of time. Adam usually loved every second on the court, but right now all he could think about was his friend. When the coach finally blew the whistle and released them, Adam was the first one out of the gym

Adam was not about to head home. He instead turned away from town and headed up to the ridge known as Billionaires' Beaut, the neighborhood where Chase lived. A lone Mission Creek High basketball player with a gym bag wandering through the richest part of town was an odd sight, but Adam didn't care one bit about what all the rich snobs thought of him.

When Adam reached the Davenport mansion, he approached with confidence. Three sharp knocks resounded through the house and the teen waited for an answer. Finally the door opened, revealing a black-haired man in his late thirties.

"Adam?" the man asked, squinting a bit.

"Hi Mr. Davenport," Adam said anxiously. "Is Chase home?"

"Yeah," Mr. Davenport replied. "Here, come on in."

Adam obliged, walking into the brightly decorated living area. It looked to be more for show than actual living, with its white couch and glass table. Several windows along the wall let in the golden rays of the sun, and a few exotic plants completed the fancy interior.

"He hasn't been in school for the past few days," Adam explained. "I was starting to get worried."

"He hasn't told you anything?" Then under his breath Mr. Davenport muttered, "That boy."

"What's going on?"

"Chase wasn't feeling well yesterday, so he asked me if he could stay home. The same thing happened again today."

"So he's sick?"

"I think so." Leave it to Mr. Davenport to give such a vague answer. His intentions were well-meaning, but in the end he was too wrapped up in his work to pay enough attention to his own son.

"Do you mind if I see him?" Adam asked.

"Uh, sure," Mr. Davenport replied. "I'll go get him."

The man headed upstairs to get his son. Adam decided to make himself comfortable on the couch. He had been over to the Davenport house enough times to call it a second home, but for some reason he felt uncomfortable this time around. There was something foreboding hanging around. Adam had a bad feeling about this.

"Hey Adam," a weak voice said. Adam turned to see Chase and Mr. Davenport coming down the stairs. Chase's face was pinched with weariness and fatigue, like he hadn't slept in days. Other than that, however, Adam saw no visible signs of sickness.

"I'm going to get back to work in the lab," Mr. Davenport said. "You boys have fun."

"Bye," Chase muttered softly as his father left. Then to Adam he said, "So, what's up?"

"You haven't been in school," Adam said bluntly.

"I know, I know," Chase sighed. "I haven't been feeling well, is all. I think I'm getting better, though. I can probably go back tomorrow." Chase sat down in the easy chair across from Adam.

"I was kinda counting on seeing you today."

"Oh?" Chase lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Spike."

"Oh." Chase's face paled and he looked down at his feet. "I don't think I want to hear this."

"I think you do," Adam insisted. "And if nothing else, _I _need to hear what _you _have to say. Chase, why did you write about Spike in your notebook? Why are you even associated with him? What's going on?"

"Adam, you can't even begin to understand what's going on here," Chase said in a raspy voice. "I'm in a really tight spot right now."

"Then tell me about it!" Adam persisted. "Maybe I can help. Come on, don't you trust me?"

"Of course! I trust you more than anymore; more than myself, even. But it's not really as bad as you're making it out to be. Here's a bit of information that might make you feel better: I can get rid of Spike at any moment I choose. He can be out of my life forever. I am grateful for your concern, but I'm begging you, give it a rest!"

Adam stared at the coffee table in front of him. He stood up suddenly. "I guess you're right," he said quietly. "But I still don't understand your relationship with him."

"And I don't think you ever could," Chase whispered, his eyes downcast. "But I would ask that you give him a chance. Don't be so quick to judge."

"I don't think I'll ever like him."

"I'm not asking that. I'm just asking that you be careful and gather all the facts before you make an assumption. I'm asking that you leave it alone before somebody gets hurt. Can you promise me that, Adam?"

For several seconds there was silence. Then Adam sighed. "Yes. I promise."

* * *

**Oh dear. Chase is concerned about something. Do you suppose Adam will be able to keep his promise?**

**You can see how daphrose has slightly altered Mr. Davenport's personality for this story. If any of you have read the real book, he is in place of Mr. Poole. Though since his personality isn't quite befitting of a butler, daphrose had to change his role quite a bit.**

**I hope you will all return tomorrow night. We will be reading chapter five: Tragedy Strikes. Until then!**

**~ The Narrator**


	5. Tragedy Strikes

**Hello again! Welcome back. It seems that you were all very excited for today's chapter. Ominous title, hmm? I suppose we'll have to read the chapter and find out what happens.**

**This chapter contains some elements that might be disturbing for younger readers. I hope you remember the warnings I listed in chapter one. If any of those will bother you, you might want to consider skipping this chapter.**

**There is one thing you should know before we begin: Marcus is a human in this story. He is not an android. Also, daphrose was apparently very uncreative when it came to giving him a last name.**

**But I won't hold you in suspense any longer. Let us begin chapter five . . .**

* * *

*** * * Tragedy Strikes * * ***

* * *

It was a crisp autumn night in Mission Creek. Everything was quiet and peaceful. People slept soundly, their alarm clocks turned off, for the next day was Saturday. It was a day of peace and rest. So why shouldn't this night be?

Unbeknownst to many citizens of the quiet suburb of Mission Creek, a terrible crime was committed that night. It was a crime the likes of which the town had never seen before. This crime would shake the citizens to their very cores. But everyone, all asleep in their beds, wouldn't know about it until the morning.

Adam stretched and yawned as he slowly woke up. A quick glance at his clock reassured him that his teenage goal of sleeping in had been reached. The red numbers on the clock flashed _10:23_.

The teen tumbled out of his room, still half-asleep. His dad was gone on his business trip, which meant Adam would have to prepare breakfast himself. He pulled a bowl out of the cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed his favorite cereal, Powdered Sugar Cookie Doughnut O's. He poured in a generous amount of milk to go with it.

The couch was practically begging Adam to sit on it, and he obliged. He grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, propping his slipper-clad feet on the coffee table. The TV turned on to show the news.

"Bor-ph-ing, no one wat-ph-ches news anymore," Adam complained whilst spitting cereal everywhere. Hey, if no one was around to scold him, then he would take advantage of talking with his mouth full!

Just as he was about to flip the channel, an odd feeling came over Adam. It settled in the pit of his stomach and compelled him to keep the channel where it was. He leaned back and scooped another bite of cereal into his mouth, turning up the volume so he could hear the anchor.

". . . the terrible murder that happened last night," she was saying, "of a fifteen-year-old boy on Perry Avenue. Marcus Ward was found dead in front of an apartment complex, apparently stabbed in the stomach with a knife."

A school picture of a brown-haired boy came on the screen. Adam's stomach twisted into a knot. Marcus was a friend of his from school. The kid was a bit overdramatic, sure, but Marcus was a really cool guy. Emphasis on _was_, apparently.

"We now go to Tasha Dooley at the scene," the woman continued. "Tasha?"

"Thanks, Linda," another lady standing in front of an apartment building said. Adam recognized her as Leo's mom. "I'm here with Caitlin–"

"That's me!" a girl with light-brown hair shouted, jumping into view of the camera.

"Haha, yes, it is," Mrs. Dooley said, apparently trying to keep her cool. "And, um, Caitlin, can you tell us what you saw last night?"

"Yes!" the girl shouted. She yanked the microphone from the news reporter's hands and turned to the camera. "It was awful! It was almost midnight, and I was up watching videos on the computer. Don't tell my parents." Caitlin snickered before continuing, "Then I looked outside and I saw Marcus walking down the street. I know him from school.

"Anyway, I was about to open my window and ask him what he was doing when another person came out onto the street. He came around the corner suddenly, and so of course he and Marcus ran into each other. Well, this other guy seemed really mad. They looked like they were yelling at each other, but it wasn't loud enough for me to hear.

"Then suddenly I saw this creepy guy pull something out of his jacket. I didn't know what it was at first, but I saw it glint in the lamplight. Then he just shoved it into Marcus . . . when Marcus fell onto the sidewalk I finally realized what was going on.

"I started _freaking out_, and I think I hit my head on something because I got knocked out. When I woke up I called the police right away."

"Can you describe the person who murdered Marcus?" Mrs. Dooley asked.

"Yeah, he was a short, creepy-looking dude," Caitlin said. "I'm pretty sure it was Spike. You know, that weird new kid who's been causing trouble? I've seen him once or twice, and I'm telling you, this guy looked exactly like him."

"And you've told the police about this?"

"Of course. And now I'm a hero, right?"

"Uh, sure," Mrs. Dooley said with a fake smile. "Are you worried that Spike will come after now that you've identified him?"

"Oh, not at all," Caitlin said casually. "I scare away most boys who–"

Adam clicked off the TV. He set his bowl down on the counter. The teen had lost his appetite. That was saying something, because Adam was always hungry! However, more pressing matters were on his mind. He hurried back to his room to get dressed.

* * *

Adam pounded furiously on the wooden door. The door opened suddenly. So suddenly, in fact, that Adam fell forward from the momentum of knocking. When he looked up, Chase was standing there, his face pale.

"Did you hear what happened?" Adam asked without preamble. The older boy straightened himself and walked into the room.

"I did," Chase muttered. He closed the door and walked over to his friend. "Adam, I–"

"Marcus was my friend," Adam rasped, "but so are you. I want to know what the heck is going on, Chase Davenport! Why are you associated with _him_? How could you? I want the truth!"

"I thought we were going to drop this!"

"We were! And then Spike _killed _someone! Do you know where he is right now? Are you hiding him?"

"Adam," Chase pleaded. He looked like tears were about to start flowing down his cheeks. "Adam, I promise . . . I promise I'll never have anything to do with him again! You have my word, I swear it to you! He doesn't even want my help. You don't know him, but . . . but I-I do. He's safe, very safe, and no one will ever be seeing him again."

Adam was silent. He didn't like the way Chase was talking so frantically. It was starting to scare him. "I hope you're right," he murmured.

"I am," Chase whispered. "I'm sure that I am. Look, Spike even left me a note." Chase held out a small, crumpled-up piece of paper. Adam took it slowly and examined it. "I found it slipped under the door this morning," Chase continued as Adam read. "We won't see him again."

The note was in a hurried hand and the letters were scrawled across the page. At the bottom it was signed with a simple 'Spike.' It was short, and explained only that Spike had no intentions of coming back to Mission Creek.

"Chase, why were you even friends with him?" Adam said icily.

"We weren't friends, exactly." Chase winced.

"Then what were you?"

"It's . . . it's hard to explain."

"Those notes in your book," Adam said slowly. "You were scared of Spike."

Chase nodded mournfully. His face became even paler, if that was possible.

"He wanted to kill you," Adam whispered. "I don't know why, but he wanted you dead. We're dealing with a teenage murderer, Chase. You're lucky that it was Marcus first."

"I've learned my lesson," Chase said hoarsely. "Honestly, Adam, I have. I learned a greater lesson than you will ever know."

* * *

That night Adam sat alone in his room, going over the events of the day. A funeral had been planned for Marcus the following week. The town was up in arms, trying to learn all they could about this Spike. It was becoming apparent that nobody really knew anything about him.

Spike's parents were a mystery. His former home was a mystery. Even his _current _home, his address, was unknown to everyone. Spike had dropped off the face of the planet, despite the fact that he never really seemed to be on it in the first place.

As Adam fell onto his bed, he felt something move around in the pocket of his jeans. He reached into it and pulled out a wadded up piece of paper; the note Spike had left Chase. Adam must have subconsciously put it into his pocket. He could give it to Chase on Monday.

The teen decided to read the note one more time. There was something awfully strange about it. Not in the words. No, the words were quite normal (for a teenage serial killer running from the cops, that is). It was something about the _way _it was written.

Adam's heart beat harder in his chest. He hurried over to his desk and pulled out the yearbook from the previous year at school. He flipped to the back of it, where friends and peers could sign their names and put well-wishes for the summer. Adam found the small paragraph Chase had written for him.

With shaky hands, Adam held the note and the yearbook side by side. If the letters on the note Spike had written were shrunk down and written in a prettier manner, they would _identically match_ Chase's handwriting. Adam felt like his veins had turned to ice. For whatever reason, Chase had forged a note from Spike. Chase was covering for a murderer.

* * *

**It certainly seems like Chase is hiding something. And I wonder where Spike has run off to, hmm? A few guest appearances were also made in this chapter. It seems that some of you might be excited about it considering the way you've been asking for them.**

**There isn't much else to say here, so I will just thank you all for coming. I hope to see you again tomorrow when we read chapter six: The Journal Holds the Answers. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


	6. The Journal Holds the Answers

**Hello all. Glad you could join us tonight for the next chapter of "The Strange Case of Chase and Spike." A character will be returning in today's chapter. Who? Why, I suppose we'll have to read to find out.**

**Let us begin chapter six . . .**

* * *

*** * * The Journal Holds the Answers * * ***

* * *

The police investigation went on for a while. Everyone was on the watch for the elusive Spike. His past was uncovered – or at least his recent past. Apparently he had been around Mission Creek for a few months. He was known for various criminal acts and unwholesome behavior. No one would say, "Oh, yes, Spike was a great guy!" The general consensus was quite the opposite.

Somehow Spike managed to disappear from the face of the planet. The nearby towns were notified and asked to report anything they saw. But no one ever did. Spike was gone, vanished into thin air.

Within Adam's life, things started to go back to normal. Chase returned to his usual nerdy, reclusive self and hung out with Adam every now and then. They studied at each other's houses and talked in school like they always did.

Marcus's death was not forgotten. The school had a few moments of silence for him at school on Monday. His funeral was held almost a week later, and even Chase attended. Despite the mourning, things were going back to the way they were supposed to be.

That all changed again, however. The way it changed was so subtle that Adam didn't even realize it at first. No one did. Simple occurrences that could be considered a part of everyday life kick-started a chain of events that would quickly grow out of control. This time would cause even more devastation than the first.

When Adam woke up two and a half weeks after the 'Ward murder case,' he noticed a text on his phone. With the bleary vision that came with waking up, Adam read the text from his best friend.

_Woke up with a fever this morning. Won't be at school today. – Chase_

Adam frowned and got out of bed. Part of the message seemed off to him. It wasn't like Chase to be so curt (at least in a text message). Fragments were the bane of his existence, so why was he using them?

Then again, maybe Adam was reading into something that wasn't even there. Fevers did have the tendency to make you do and say weird things. Chase might not have even had the energy to type out a complete thought.

Reassured by that thought, Adam got ready and headed off for school. He texted his friend back with the typical, 'Too bad, hope you feel better soon!' as he rushed out the front door.

All day at school Adam felt edgy, thought he couldn't quite explain why. It was probably because of the events that had conspired recently, though that was over two weeks ago. Why was Adam suddenly so anxious again? A feeling of foreboding hung in the air, and Adam didn't like it one bit.

As the final bell rang, ending the school day, Adam grabbed the last of his books out of his locker. When he turned, he noticed Leo not far down the hall. He called his friend's name and Leo turned around.

"Oh, hi Adam," Leo greeted him. His tone was somewhat quiet and sounded almost fearful. Adam paused, noticing how awful Leo looked. It almost seemed as if the boy hadn't gotten sleep in days. His face was drawn and he had bags under his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked.

"A lot has happened this weekend," Leo muttered.

"Um, okay?" Adam said, not sure how to answer that vague statement. "Well, do you want to walk home together? You can tell me about it."

"I'm not sure how much I can tell you, but sure, we can head back together."

The boys headed out of the school. They didn't live in the same neighborhood, but for a stretch they had the same route. Adam and Leo had walked together a few times.

As they went along, everything was silent. That was quite unusual for both of them. Adam supposed he was waiting for Leo to say something first, but he didn't know what his friend's excuse was.

"Chase texted me earlier and said he had a fever," Adam finally said, breaking the solemn silence. "That's why he wasn't at school today." Talking about a subject as normal as that should be easy enough – in theory.

"Ugh, don't even talk to me about Chase!" Leo exclaimed suddenly. "I don't want to hear it. I'm done with him."

"But I thought you were friends?"

"'Were' being the key word there. We're not anymore. He's dead to me," Leo spat.

"Oh, come on," Adam said, thinking surely his friend must be joking to some degree. Chase and Leo had had their arguments in the past, but they always made up in the end.

"It's true. I don't want to see him again." Suddenly Leo froze. He stared straight ahead and his eyes held a distant, haunted look. "Not after this weekend," he muttered. Leo turned to look at Adam. "I've seen things. Things I wish I never had."

"What kinds of things?"

"I . . . I can't tell you now. There's too much riding on it . . . too much that you really can't know."

"How do you know?"

"I found it out by accident. Adam, trust me, you don't _want_ to know. The only one I can tell right now is my journal."

In spite of himself, Adam chuckled. "You mean your diary?"

Leo's face flushed red. "It's not a diary!" he insisted.

"Oh yeah, then why does it have a heart-shaped lock on it?" Adam teased.

Leo scowled and lowered his head. "There's something in there you will need to see eventually. But not yet. It's too soon to give it to you."

"Oh, really? Well can't you just–"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Adam," Leo cut him off. "This is where I turn. See you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye," Adam said reluctantly.

Leo turned around the corner and started heading down the street that would take him to his home. Adam frowned and stood still for a moment. Leo's cryptic messages were really starting to bug him.

All of a sudden a loud honking noise was heard, followed by a loud screech and a sharp scream. Adam felt his stomach churn. The noises had come from the street Leo had just turned down.

Without any hesitation, Adam hurried down the street. The sight in front of him was sickening. Just as Adam had feared, the scream had come from Leo. The dark skinned boy was now lying in the center of the road. A disturbing amount of blood was on his body. His chest was not moving.

The driver was getting out of the car, his expression one of pure shock. People on the sidewalk were calling 911. But everyone knew it was already too late. Adam couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

He noticed a backpack about five feet away from Leo's body. Adam jogged over and picked it up, not knowing what compelled him to do so. No one noticed; they were too busy trying to find out the answer everyone already knew but wouldn't admit.

Inside the backpack was a mess of normal school supplies, but in one of the pouches was a black leather-bound journal, a heart-shaped lock keeping it firmly shut. Adam slipped it into his own backpack just as the ambulance arrived.

* * *

Adam held the hammer firmly in his grip. He brought it down hard on the metal lock. There was snap and the silver heart flew off. Adam grinned triumphantly. He put the hammer down and headed out of the garage.

Once in his bedroom, Adam opened the journal – or diary – and began to flip through the pages. It was a bunch of random events from the past year of Leo's life. There were a lot of embarrassing stories in here, but Adam didn't care about those at the moment.

Pretty soon he found a spot where it looked like a page had been torn out. In its place was an envelope, shoved into the spine of the book. Adam pulled out the envelope and looked at it closely.

'To Adam Charles,' it read. 'Do NOT open until the death or disappearance of Chase Davenport.'

Adam read the words over and over again, hardly believing his eyes. Here again was that blasted 'disappearance.' Did everyone know what that meant? How did Leo know?

I will not lie to you, Adam was greatly tempted to slit open the letter and read its contents. But despite his curiosity, Adam was exceedingly loyal. He would consider this letter 'Leo's dying wish.' He would obey the instructions and not open it. Adam tossed it into his desk drawer and slammed it shut, leaving the letter to be forgotten until future events would painfully remind him.

* * *

**And so another character has quite unceremoniously kicked the bucket. For those of you who have read Stevenson's original story, Leo's character was in place of Dr. Hastie Lanyon.**

**Tomorrow's chapter will be a bit shorter, just to warn you. It is the shortest in the whole story. Still, it is extremely important. I hope you can join us again tomorrow night when we read chapter seven: Shutting Up. Until then!**

**~ The Narrator**


	7. Shutting Up

**Hello again friends. Back for the next chapter? As I have warned you, it is much shorter than the others. Nonetheless, it is important. Please do not complain to me. I, for one, do not want to hear it.**

**I won't make you wait any longer. Let us begin chapter seven . . .**

* * *

*** * * Shutting Up * * ***

* * *

In the tragic wake of Leo Dooley's death, life for others – including Adam – continued on. No one forgot the dark-skinned boy. Adam himself was mourning silently for days. Nonetheless, there was nothing anyone could do. Adam felt himself going numb to the pain. Losing two friends in a matter of weeks was a terrible thing to go through. Still, life went on.

The next Tuesday, Adam and Bree were walking home again. Adam suggested a round-about way, one was that sincerely out of the way of their route.

"But Adam, why?" Bree complained.

"I just think it might be nice to try something new and different," Adam suggested.

"Wait a second, this would take us right past Chase's house. Is that why you're doing it?"

"Well, maybe . . ."

Bree groaned. "Adam!"

"He hasn't been answering any of my texts or emails lately!" Adam insisted. "It's really starting to worry me."

Chase had been 'out sick' for nearly a week now. That was unnerving. Chase got sick just like any other normal human, but this was taking too long. He was either seriously ill or something extremely bad was going on. Either way, something was up with Chase.

"The kid is sick, Adam," Bree said.

"With everything else that has been going on, I'm scared for him," Adam whispered in a low voice. "And I think that he has the answers I want."

"And what makes you think he'll give them to you?"

"I don't know. But it's worth a shot."

Bree sighed. "Fine, fine, all right. The woods up there are pretty anyway."

So Adam and Bree took a very round-about way to get back home, one that involved hiking up Billionaire's Beaut and into the woods behind it. Tall trees stood above them, and birds filled the air with their chirping. Flowers sprung up from the base of trees. It was incredible that the world could be so happy while Adam's life was still so dark.

The cousins came near the back of the Davenport house. One window was open; the window in Chase's room. Through it they could see a boy sitting at a desk.

"Hey Chase!" Adam shouted.

Chase jumped and looked around. Then he looked out the window and saw Adam and Bree. He grinned and walked over to the sill.

"Hey guys!"

"Chase, you remember my cousin, Bree, right?" Adam said. "And Bree, that's Chase."

"Hi," Bree said, waving up at him.

"Hello," Chase said flatly. He was not very polite when it came to introductions (not surprisingly, of course).

"Are you feeling better?" Adam asked. Chase was only on the second floor, and it was pretty quiet around, so there was no need to shout. "You haven't been answering any of my messages."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Chase said sheepishly. "I'm feeling a bit better today. But my dad was also having me do stuff around the house. I'd invite you in, but the house is a mess right now, and since I was just sick it's probably not a good idea."

"Thank you," Bree said.

Chase nodded. Adam noticed that Chase actually didn't look that sick; at least, not how you would normally think of a sick person. He didn't have the air of a stuffy-nosed, red-eyed victim of the flu or a cold. Instead, Chase just looked tired, not only in body but in spirit as well. There was something inexplicably off about him.

"We can just talk out here," Adam suggested.

Chase's face brightened. "Yeah, that's a great idea, Adam," he said. The words had barely left his mouth when his face turned ghastly pale. Without warning, the younger boy slammed his window shut. Adam saw the blue curtains drawn shut as well, and Chase was no longer visible.

"Chase?" Adam shouted. "Chase!"

"Adam, it's no use," Bree said, putting a gentle hand on her cousin's arm. "Come on, we should just go."

"But why would he shut himself off so quickly?" Adam muttered. "See Bree, more questions! Maybe we should go around front and ask Mr. Davenport . . ."

"Forget it, Adam!" Bree said harshly. "Chase clearly doesn't want to be bothered. Just leave it be, would you?"

Slowly Adam nodded. He followed his cousin back onto the path through the woods. They started to head away from Billionaires' Beaut.

"Bree?" Adam said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Adam?"

"Did you see his face? He didn't look sick . . . not the way he said he was. He looked . . ."

"Disturbed," Bree supplied.

"So you noticed."

"I did."

"Then why did you want to leave?"

Bree sighed. "Because I agree with you; it's scary. Something bad is going on here, Adam. I think you need to back off before it's too late."

* * *

**And things only get even more mysterious. For those of you who have read the book, you may know what is coming next chapter (but I implore you not to say it; there are others here who do not know).**

**So the interaction between Bree and Chase was minimal; much too small to be considered Brase, eh? Please no comments that say "BRASE!" for I have seen them before and they are quite annoying. No, dear, they barely even talked. There is no Brase.**

**I hope you will all be able to join us again tomorrow night for chapter eight: Eerie Sounds. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


	8. Eerie Sounds

**Welcome back to our little corner of the fanfiction world. Today is chapter eight of "The Strange Case of Chase and Spike." Some of you have been guessing what's coming next, and it is not my place to tell you whether you are right or wrong. You will just have to continue reading to find out. I will say that we are reaching the climax of the story.**

**I won't waste any more time. Let us begin chapter eight . . .**

* * *

*** * * Eerie Sounds * * ***

* * *

It was a Wednesday night just like any other. The Dingoes had beaten their sworn enemies, the Deerfield Llamas, seventy-one to sixty-eight. Adam's basketball team had been ecstatic. Doing victory dances when they won games was one of Adam's favorite parts.

Bree and her cheerleading squad had done well too. They performed an amazing half-time show and kept the crowd excited for the whole game. It had been a wild night for everyone.

Adam was relaxing in his room, happy to finally be sitting down. His dad was working late at the office, so he had the whole house to himself. He whipped out his phone and was playing Angry Pigeons when the doorbell rang. The teen groaned and left his room.

When Adam opened the door, he was surprised to see Mr. Davenport there. The tech mogul had his arms folded across his chest and his face held such a staggering amount of worry that Adam was instantly concerned.

"Mr. Davenport, what are you doing here?" Adam asked.

"Adam, I think something's wrong with Chase," Mr. Davenport said in a strained voice. Adam's heart jumped in his chest. Something must be _seriously _wrong if Mr. Davenport noticed. The man was so aloof he hardly knew when Chase was at school or at home. "You're his friend, and I don't know who else to go to right now. Maybe you can talk to him, but I need your help."

Adam didn't say a word. He reached over and grabbed his jacket, all thoughts of a hot shower and watching TV forgotten. The two males headed down into the driveway. The heavens had opened up and were dumping gallons of water on their heads every second. They climbed into Mr. Davenport's car (Adam felt comfortable enough with his friend's dad; he had been in this car many times before) and headed off.

"So what exactly is wrong?" Adam asked after about thirty seconds of silence.

"Chase hasn't come out his room all day," Mr. Davenport said hoarsely. His knuckles were turning white from the way he was gripped the steering wheel. "And . . . and there are weird noises coming from his room. I knocked on the door and asked him if I could come in, but he just shouted at me. It didn't sound like Chase. That's what scares me. Okay, so maybe I'm not the best dad ever . . ." Mr. Davenport gulped and Adam could tell that his pride made it hard for him to say that sentence. "But I know my own son's voice! And I'm telling you, that was not him."

They pulled into the Davenport driveway. Adam hopped out without any hesitation. They ran inside and up the stairs, to Chase's room. Adam jiggled the door handle, only to discover that it was locked.

"Chase?" Adam called, knocking frantically on the door. "Hey, buddy, are you in there? It's me, Adam. Can I come in?"

"Go away," came the voice from behind the door. Adam felt like someone had shoved a snowball down the back of his shirt. That voice was deep and growling, not like Chase's at all. In fact, it sounded a lot like . . .

Mr. Davenport pulled Adam away and back down the stairs. "See?" he hissed once they were in the living room. "What did I tell you? That's not Chase!"

"I agree," Adam said hoarsely. "And, uh, Mr. Davenport, I really hate to break this to you . . ."

"What is it? Spit it out, Adam!"

"Do you remember Spike?"

"That kid that murdered someone and then skipped town?"

"Yes. I met him once. I heard his voice. It was very . . . unique. Mr. Davenport, it sounded just like the voice that was behind that door."

Mr. Davenport's face was comparable to a freshly laid sheet of snow. His hands were visibly shaking. Adam's own heart was racing and his brain felt fuzzy.

"Spike is in that room," Adam whispered hoarsely. Somebody had to say those words. They both knew it to be true. Chase was dead, killed by his psychotic acquaintance who had been missing for several weeks.

"Why would he stay around if he had . . . y-you know?" Mr. Davenport said, gulping.

"I don't know. But I think we should find a way to get in there and see what's going on."_I've always wanted to kick in a door, _Adam thought to himself.

The two headed back up the stairs. There was no sound coming from inside of Chase's room. Adam slowly knocked on the door, deciding to give whoever was in there one last chance.

"Hello?" he called.

"Open the door!" Mr. Davenport shouted.

"No!" the voice inside said. "Leave me alone!"

"That's Spike," Adam said, his tone confident. "I'm going in."

With that, Adam kicked the door with his right foot. _Just like the movies, _he thought. _Cool! _The door caved a little bit, but not enough to be opened. Adam tried again, and again. He felt the wood give way, saw the splinters that ran up the white surface. The hinges creaked and the door swung inward.

Mr. Davenport and Adam stood back for a second, surprised at the amount of noise the door had caused when it swung in and the silence that followed it. Slowly, carefully, they walked into the room, not quite sure what they were going to see.

The bedroom was similar to that of any teenage boy, but with a few exceptions – which was to be expected, considering Chase's oddities. A bed with a black and red sheet was against one wall. A desk cluttered with papers was against another. In the corner was a bookshelf with reads only Chase would have picked out. All in all, the room seemed very normal. Well, _almost _normal. There was something that caught Mr. Davenport's and Adam's eyes; something off-putting and disturbing.

In the center of the room lay a body still twitching. The clothes he wore were a size too big. His skin was pale and his dark brown hair was clinging to his face. In his hands was an empty bottle of medication. Mr. Davenport and Adam both knew now that they were witnesses to a suicide.

Adam knelt down beside the body. He could see the oddly familiar face of Spike. The murderer had gotten what was coming to him. Adam noticed something else as well; there was something on the back of Spike's neck. Slowly he tugged at the collar of Spike's shirt, grimacing as he did so.

"Hey, Mr. Davenport, look at this," Adam said to the man who still seemed to be in shock. He walked over and knelt beside Adam. They both observed the long wires that seemed imbedded right beneath Spike's skin. The wires snaked down the back of his neck and continued on down his spine.

"Why would he put wires like that into his body?" Mr. Davenport mused.

"I don't know," Adam whispered. The teen stood up and glanced around the room. "I think we should find Chase." Adam didn't want to say what he knew they would find: Chase's body.

Mr. Davenport nodded solemnly and the two began a search of the room. They couldn't find any clues. After a thorough search and right as Adam was about to suggest they try other rooms, Mr. Davenport found a letter addressed to Adam sitting on Chase's desk. They opened it and Adam began to read.

_Adam:_

_By the time you have this, I will have disappeared. How I will have disappeared I can't quite tell you yet; I don't even know myself. But I know that the end is coming. I'm sure that you have Leo's journal by now. Did you see the letter inside? Read that and you may finally understand what is going on here. If you need more explanation, read the other letter I've included in here._

_Sincerely,_

_Chase Davenport_

"Other letter?" Adam said quietly.

"Yes, there's one in here," Mr. Davenport said, drawing out a second envelope with shaky hands. This letter was secured on all sides with tape.

"I need to get home and read the letter from Leo," Adam said gravely.

"I think I'm going to call the police," Mr. Davenport told him. "Can you get home by yourself?"

"It's less than ten minutes; even faster if I run. I'll be fine."

"Do you think Chase just ran away?" Mr. Davenport changed the subject rather abruptly, Adam thought.

The teen sighed. "I . . . I wouldn't count on it. But these letters will tell us for sure. I'll let you know what I find."

* * *

**So now the notorious 'Spike' has gone to the grave as well. Some of you may know what happened to Chase; others may not. You'll have to wait until the next few chapters to find out.**

**Thank you all for joining us today, and I hope to see you again tomorrow for chapter nine: Leo's Journal. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


	9. Leo's Journal

**Hello again to you all. Apparently I was wrong before, and **_**this **_**is the shortest chapter in the story. Nonetheless, it contains some of the most important information. Complaints about the length will be ignored, I'm warning you now.**

**So let's solve this mystery, shall we? On with chapter nine . . .**

* * *

*** * * Leo's Journal * * ***

* * *

November 23rd, 2013

Dear Journal,

The weirdest thing happened to me today. I can't even talk about what happened at school or how many girls made eye contact with me (it was three, by the way; I'm making progress!). I'm not even sure I could say it out loud to anyone just yet. But I have to put it somewhere, so I'll write it in here.

After school today, I went to Gordo's house. We studied and played video games and stuff; you know, the usual. I left his house at about 6:32. It was already dark outside. There was nobody out on the streets, and it was actually really spooky.

When I was getting close to my house, I heard something in the alley and saw someone hitting the wall. Literally, he was pounding on the wall with his fists. I carefully walked up to him and shouted, "Hello?"

He turned, and that was when I realized it was Spike, that really creepy kid everyone has been talking about. He killed Marcus Ward (never liked him anyway), and the police have been looking for him for weeks. I mean, _I _wasn't scared of him, of course. Okay, maybe I was just a little bit.

Spike started walking towards me, and it almost looked like he was talking to himself. There was no doubt in my mind that I was dealing with a psychopath. He walked up to me with the horrible sneer on his face; not that I could see much of it. His head was covered by a hoodie.

"You've seen me!" he growled at me.

I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone (in a really manly voice, of course), but he didn't seem convinced. He grabbed my ear and pulled me into the alley.

When we got into the alley, all of a sudden he let go of me. I was about to make a break for it, but Spike dropped to his hands and knees and started shaking violently. My curiosity got the better of me, so I stayed, but I was ready to dart out of there at a moment's notice.

Spike started screaming and gasping, like he was struggling to breathe. His hands clutched his head and he . . . he . . . I'm not even sure if I can put it onto the paper. But I have to. I have to put this somewhere; tell someone! Even if it is just my journal.

Spike started changing before my very eyes. He was someone one instant, and someone else the next. It was truly the most horrifying thing I've ever seen (but I most definitely did _not _scream like a little girl). What scared me the most, though, was who he changed into.

_Spike changed into Chase Davenport._

"L-Leo?" Chase said as soon as he caught sight of me. Then he looked down at his clothes, which now seemed a bit too tight on him. He whipped off his hood and sighed mournfully.

Chase didn't look all that well. His face was pale and he was still shaking. He looked a lot older than he was. His face reflected the terror I felt.

"What just happened?" I shouted.

"Leo!" Chase spluttered, lunging at me with the little energy he had. He failed and fell to his knees, coughing into his fist. Slowly he pulled himself back to his feet. "You can't tell anyone about what you just saw!" he pleaded.

"And what did I just see?" I asked, desperate to know what was going on.

What Chase told me after that was so purely horrifying I don't think I could even put it on the paper. I knew Chase was strange; I knew he would be capable of creepy things. But I never thought it could go this far.

My heart starts pounding and my palms get sweaty at the mere thought of it. I want to tell someone so bad, but Chase made me promise I wouldn't. I can only hope that in time someone else can find out his secret; before it's too late.

I feel an incredible amount of fear, like something bad is about to happen. I don't know why, but I'm suddenly terrified that I _won't _be able to tell anyone about this anytime soon.

This whole thing is too crazy. Chase is crazy. This is madness. He's going to get himself killed. He's already gotten someone else killed.

Chase confirmed one thing: that creature I saw was Spike. That was all I needed.

– Leo Dooley

* * *

**And Spike's true identity has been revealed. Some of you who have already read the book knew that was coming. For the record, daphrose does not take credit for the plot twist; the idea was from "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." **

**As you attempt to fit the pieces together, it is important to note that this is the not the final chapter; there is one more. Thank you all for coming tonight, and I hope you can join us again tomorrow when we read chapter ten: Chase's Letter. Goodnight all!**

**~ The Narrator**


	10. Chase's Letter

**Welcome back again. I'm so glad you join us for the final chapter of "The Strange Case of Chase and Spike." It has been quite an eventful story, hmm? But today the mystery will be solved and everything will be explained.**

**I shall refer you once more to the song mentioned in the first chapter. "Monster" by Imagine Dragons is a very good soundtrack to listen to right now, for this chapter especially.**

**I know you are all very excited to see what happens, so let us get on with it . . .**

* * *

*** * * Chase's Letter * * ***

* * *

To Adam:

You've known me for a long time. And I mean a really long time. You know all about my past, and everything about my life. Nothing I did was a secret to you. At least, that's what you thought.

There were some things I did that I am not proud of. To this day I still wish I had never gotten involved with those things, but I did, and once I was in I couldn't get out. I have secrets that destroyed my life; secrets I don't think I could tell you even now. I would prefer you remain blissfully naïve about them.

Regardless, those secrets were starting to destroy me. In truth, a part of me _liked _the things I was doing. I enjoyed being the 'good kid' around school, but I liked the rebellion as well. It wasn't hypocritical; it was two sides of my own self at war.

The more I thought about that, the more I realized how right that idea was. We all have the two sides to ourselves; one good and one evil. If there was a way to separate them, that might come in handy.

So using my father's technology, I started trying to find a way to split myself into two parts. If I could separate this 'naughty' side from the good, then I would be free of all guilt. This evil side of me could continue doing whatever it pleased while my good half did the things _it _pleased.

I started experimenting with the technology. Yes, it was dangerous. I knew that. The wires I put into my body had the potential to kill me. But they also had the potential to free me from the impressive amount of guilt and shame.

Then came the day when I activated it for the first time. Using my laptops, I sent a wireless signal to the technology I had placed into my body. It was excruciatingly painful. I was terrified, and everything hurt. But then it stopped.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked very different. 'I' was smaller, more sinewy. Thus Spike was born. He was the evil side of me, capable of devastating acts. Everything I loathed about Chase was shoved into his character. Spike was still me; just a different side of me.

Spike was able to deactivate himself (it was no small feat convincing him to do so), and Chase returned. I was ecstatic at my breakthrough. I was ready to use Spike to his full potential, activating him whenever the opportunity for evil presented itself. I had full intent to keep him under control. And I did, for a long time. Unfortunately, that control was only temporary.

One morning I woke up to a great shock: Spike had possessed my body. I was no longer Chase; Spike had full reign. It took all of Chase's strength to return. I found that arguing with Spike and mentally talking him down was the only way to make him retreat. Spike would grab control of the wires in my brain and use that to transform into himself. I slowly realized that a monster was living inside me.

Spike – for the most part – kept himself out of my life. But there were times when he insisted on taking over, and there was nothing I could do about it. He started making a name for himself around time. There was one time when he pushed some kid, and a girl tried to talk to him – Bree, I think. Isn't she your cousin?

Things started to get even more frightening. Spike was coming out more and more, slowly taking over every fiber of my being. When he got enough control of the technology, Chase would physically change back into Spike and the cycle continued. They would mentally wrestle over who got control.

I wasn't lying to you about feeling sick. I really was. It's terrifying to have two separate 'people' fighting over you. And I was both of those people. Eventually I had to pick the side I wanted to win; I chose Chase. That side of my personality was always the one I would prefer.

So Chase began to win a lot more often. I worked on making him stronger mentally, ready for any attack from Spike. They came quite often. But I soon realized that Spike was there to stay. I had created a monster. That monster was living in the depths of my soul; he would never leave.

Then came that awful night when Spike totally lost it. He went into a horrifying rage for no apparent reason. It was then that he killed poor Marcus, for no other reason except that he was 'in the way.' When I got back to my house, Chase finally took over again. I collapsed in front of the mirror, shocked by what had happened.

The search began for Spike, but both he and Chase were determined not to let anyone find him. I (Chase) was able to win back control, if only by the reasoning that the police would arrest Spike. He may be evil, but he was terrified to face justice for what he had done.

For a while I was able to keep Spike at bay. You will remember that time. I was coming to school and talking with you like nothing was the matter. In that period of time everything was just like it used to be. Like it was before this whole 'Spike' thing even started. Or better yet, like it was before I got involved in all these illicit acts that caused me to create Spike in the first place.

One night I was taking a walk to clear my head, and that was when Spike finally decided to show his face again. I thought he was crazy, risking his neck like that. He was almost caught, too, by none other than Leo Dooley, our old friend.

Fortunately, I was able to win control again. Unfortunately, Leo saw the whole thing. I hope by now you have read his journal. He saw the strange transformation and started screaming like a little girl. I was forced to tell him everything and made him swear not to say a word to anyone. He said the only place he would write it was his journal. I told him I was fine with that, as long as he guarded it with his life.

Spike grew stronger quickly. He was becoming the dominant side, determined to take me over completely. His evil and sadism were to be my own downfall. I never should have done this.

Yes, I've tried taking out the wires. I've tried reprogramming him. I've tried everything. Spike has grown too smart for even me. Then again, he is me. A more strategic, evil, villainous side of me. Nothing I tried worked. Spike was permanently inside of me, a manifestation of my deepest, darkest insecurities and evil desires.

He wants to be in charge. And I realize now that Spike will stop at nothing to make sure Chase disappears forever. Even now he is fighting for control, tying to take me over and become dominant. I have to fight him off for a few more minutes at least.

If Spike comes out while I am writing this letter, there is no doubt in my mind that he will tear it to shreds before it could ever fall into your hands. If I can hold him off for a little while, his own self-absorption might cause him to forget the letter completely.

I don't know what will happen when Spike takes over. All I know is that Chase will not be coming back this time. Spike has grown too powerful. There is nothing I can do. I have tried everything and nothing works. I am ready now to die, killed by my own evil self.

What Spike will do, I cannot say either. He is scared to face justice for his crimes, like I said. Perhaps he will take out his anger on one more target: himself. But I can't say for certain. I am sure by the time this letter falls into your hands, you will know. At this time Spike has either been arrested or killed (or he fled, but I doubt that). If he was killed, it was most likely by his own hands.

Within an hour I will be dead. Chase will be gone. Spike might be too. I sit here and write down my final words. That's horrifying. But Adam, I was never the kid you thought I was. I was not perfect or 'good' or a rule-follower. I never meant to deceive you. That was me as much as my dark side was. I can be a good person; but I can be a bad person too. Can't we all?

Now, as I put down my pencil and get ready to seal up this letter, I bring the life of that unhappy Chase Davenport to an end.

* * *

**That final line is basically straight from the book, and daphrose takes no credit for it. She just thought it was too amazing to leave out.**

**For those of you who think it ended rather abruptly, "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" ended that way as well, and daphrose modeled her story after that one.**

**Now that you have finished this story, I suggest you go read the **_**real **_**story by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is much better (even daphrose will admit to that) and just as intriguing.**

**Thank you all once again for joining me in reading this story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Perhaps I will see you again someday. Farewell!**

**~ The Narrator**


End file.
